Opposites Do Most Certainly Attract!

For the wrong reasons...

He was engaged. Engaged! And he'd been flirting with her like he was very much not engaged!

When was she going to learn that men were just not to be trusted! Especially Greek god billionaire dukes who owned international banks and flew in their own private jets! Had she seriously been harbouring feelings for this guy? Thinking he was being honest when he'd almost drowned her in his over the top compliments and looked at her like she was the real deal, Scarlett was disgusted with herself. And disappointed in her ability to read people- how could she not have guessed that an accomplished man like Dante Valenti was either married or engaged to be married? He was Italian for crying out loud- marriage and family were literally the most important thing to his people!

Looking on the bright side though, she hadn't embarrassed herself by looking like she'd fallen for him or anything - that's got to count for something. And now that his fellow countrywoman had called him out on his lies, Scarlett was going to take the revelation to heart and be extremely careful around Dante- at least until he left. So, back to being professional- she was good at that.

So, checking her slim wrist watch she feigned shock and said, "Its almost forty-five minutes since we got here and we haven't even talked about the house yet!"

Dante was silent at first, watching her with a look she couldn't quite place or even begin to want to place, and then said, "Cant we enjoy our lunch first? I mean its a Saturday and I don't think you have to get back to work immediately?" he finished in question.

"Mr Valenti, this isn't a social meeting, we're here to talk about what to do about our current predicament- my grandma's house and your inheritance. And the earlier we get on with it, the earlier we each get back to the other things we have to do today." She said as she rolled some spaghetti onto her fork and ate, shuddering at how good it was- she should have known! It wasn't a five star Italian restaurant for nothing.

"So we're back to me being, Mr Valenti." He said, again with that watchful look but then finally got with the programme and added, "Very well. So, we each own 50% of the house and I think the earlier you let your grandmother know, the better." He said in a voice devoid of any emotion and Scarlett realised they were back to how they should have been from the beginning. Two people on opposite sides of what was threatening to be a court case. She could work with that.

"I'll decide when I think I should tell her, no need to make her worry so early when we're still looking for a solution. Are you open to being bought out?" she asked, working out that, that should be the best solution- her grandmother wouldn't even have to know about it. How to get the money though...

Dante could tell how strained, annoyed and defeated Scarlett felt- he would feel the same way if a stranger came out of the blue and told him they too had a deed to his family home. Damn it, this had been coming from the beginning- he was sorely tempted to let her have the house without contest! He didn't even need it. But for his grandfather's will. What he couldn't understand though was, what did his already filthy rich family stand to gain from having the Cheshire house? Was it simply to teach the Wickhams a lesson- he needed to have a lengthy conversation with his grandmother.

"In the meantime though, I can't agree to that without seeing the house first." He said, trying as hard as he could not to sound so apologetic-the look in her eyes was killing him! He would do anything he could to change it- what? No, Dante, no. "You do know that this isn't just about myself but my family as well?"

"What exactly are you saying?" she asked because she sensed he was strongly thinking about something, she just didn't know what.

"My family has been talking about that house ever since I was young- with very strong feelings. And to them, it belongs to my great great grandfather. You do understand that they'd want me to fulfil that, don't you?"